Murray State University to Host High School Fishing Open April 10

More Than $10,000 in Scholarships on the Line

Ponca City, Okla. (Jan. 31, 2011) – The Bass Federation (TBF), in partnership with FLW Outdoors, announced Murray State University will host the Murray State High School Fishing Open April 10 in conjunction with the National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship on campus April 7-9.

While student anglers from every state are invited to participate, the highest-finishing team from Kentucky will be crowned the Kentucky High School Fishing State Champions as part of the newly introduced TBF Student Angler Federation (SAF) and FLW Outdoors High School Fishing circuit that will ultimately determine the top high school anglers in the nation.

“We’re excited to work with Murray State and FLW Outdoors on this unique event that will bring together high school bass anglers from across the region to compete for scholarships and experience firsthand what they have to look forward to as collegiate anglers – the National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship,” TBF President, Robert Cartlidge, said. “Murray State is ideally suited to host an open high school fishing tournament given its proximity to world-class bass fishing on Kentucky and Barkley lakes and status as a top collegiate fishing university.”

Each two-person team of students from grades 9 through 12 in the Murray State Open will fish with a “coach” who provides the boat they compete in. Each team is allowed to weigh in five bass, and the team with the heaviest overall catch will earn a $10,000 scholarship to Murray State University. The second-place team will earn $1,000 and the third-place team will earn $500.

The highest finishing team from Kentucky will advance to an FLW Outdoors/TBF High School Fishing Regional Championship held in conjunction with a National Guard FLW College Fishing Regional Championship on a college campus this fall. Ranger boats will be provided for high school anglers to fish from at the regional championship, and the winners from the regional will advance to the inaugural FLW Outdoors/TBF High School Fishing National Championship held on a college campus in conjunction with the FLW College Fishing National Championship in the spring of 2012. Each team that qualifies for a regional championship and the national championship will receive a travel allowance to help offset expenses. The High School Fishing National Championship winners will also each receive a $5,000 scholarship to use at the university of their choice.

“Murray State is proud to be one of the first universities in the nation to embrace FLW College Fishing, and we are proud to be on the leading edge of the High School Fishing movement,” Randy Dunn, Murray State University President, said. “We realize that our nationally-recognized bass fishing club and location near Kentucky and Barkley lakes are appealing to many prospective students, so hosting those students on campus for a championship-caliber tournament offering scholarships is a natural step for us.”

Students, along with their coaches, may register for the Murray State Open at HighSchoolFishing.org or by calling 580.765.9031. There will be a mandatory rules briefing and safety meeting Saturday, April 9 following the final FLW College Fishing National Championship weigh-in at the CFSB Center on Murray State’s campus. Cost to participate is only $25 per student and includes both a 2011 SAF/TBF membership to provide insurance coverage for students and their fishing clubs while competing and a 2011 FLW Outdoors membership with unlimited access to the all-new FLW Outdoors Magazine e-Edition. All SAF members and state championship participants automatically qualify to fish the largest event in High School Fishing, the 2011 High School Fishing World Finals, July 20-23 in Russellville, Ark., to compete for thousands in college scholarships and prizes. The $25 entry is a onetime fee, so students won’t have to pay to fish another SAF-sanctioned event all year.

A unique feature of all SAF-sanctioned events is the angler testing component. All participants are invited to take a free online test about boater safety, conservation and angler ethics at HighSchoolFishing.org, which makes them eligible for contingency awards at their state championship. “It’s an industry first by TBF and a tremendous way to emphasize the importance of education to these student anglers,” TBF National Youth Director, Mark Gintert, said. “The Federation is driven by our desire to promote education through fishing. The testing component is designed to do exactly that.”

Located just 20 minutes from the shores of Kentucky and Barkley lakes, Murray State University is ranked by Outdoor Life and FLW Outdoors Magazine as one of the top universities in the country for outdoor recreation and fishing. Additionally, Forbes recently place Murray State on its “America’s Best College” list and rated the university a “Best College Buy.” For additional information, visit MurrayState.edu.

About FLW Outdoors

FLW Outdoors is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world offering anglers worldwide the opportunity to compete for millions over the course of 191 tournaments in 2011. FLW Outdoors has taken fishing mainstream with the world’s richest fantasy sports game, FLW Fantasy Fishing presented by Straight Talk, where competitors can play for free as well as sign up for Player’s Advantage to gain an edge. For more information about FLW Outdoors and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com.

About The Bass Federation

The Bass Federation Inc., (TBF) is owned by those we serve and dedicated to the sport of fishing. TBF is the largest and oldest, organized grassroots fishing organization. TBF affiliated state federations and their member clubs conduct more than 20,000 fishing, youth and conservation events at the local level each year and have provided a foundation for the entire bass fishing industry for more than 40 years. Visit Bassfederation.com.

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